SANTIAGO, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chile reported 23,254 COVID-19 infections and 144 deaths from the disease in the last 24 hours, for a total of 2,876,455 cases and 41,491 deaths, the Ministry of Health said Monday.
In its daily report, the ministry also indicated that there were 131,408 active cases in the South American country.
In addition, the 24-hour COVID-19 positivity rate was 24.66 percent nationally and 18.94 percent in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.
New COVID-19 cases declined by 9 percent in seven days, but increased by 13 percent in 14 days, amid a wave of infections caused by the Omicron variant of the virus, as well as an increase in vacation travel.
Meanwhile, the regions with the greatest increase in cases in one week were Biobio, Maule, Los Lagos and O'Higgins, while Los Rios had the highest incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants. ■
